Trip Report
Hall of Mirrors rebolting - October 30, 2011
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Monday November 7, 2011 2:16am
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Psyched by Alex Honnold's recent 3rd ascent of Hall of Mirrors, and his report on the condition of the bolts, Chris Cantwell wanted to do a rebolting trip, and I jumped at the chance.
We met in the dark at 6am, parking lot below the Apron. Left one car there and drove the other to the parking lot at the top of Glacier Point. We realized we were missing a second 1/2" wrench for the stainless Powers bolts from ASCA, and a second blow tube. I found a straw in my glovebox and Chris figured how to shim his larger wrench.
I was familiar with the upper part of the approach, from scrambling up this part of The Hinterland after doing all but the last 3 pitches of Galactic Hitchhiker with Steve Curtis in August.
Chris mentioned that falling on these uppper 5.12 pitches was not like the sliding falls on the lower pitches - you quickly were moving fast!
[ Click to View Linked Image]
Bruce Morris following the Glass Menagerie, 1978 or so. From Bruce's facebook page.
 Visit on stanford.edu
Hall of Mirrors photo overlay, adapted from xRez
 Visit on stanford.edu
edited version of Bruce Morris's 1981 topo, with Jonny Woodward's rating edits
There are a few more "rebolting day trips" like this needed before the route is completely refurbished. Chris and I have a plan to go back when it's dry again for a couple more day trips, but leave ropes fixed at the end of the day. That way Roger can more easily access everything from the ground (as much as ascending a 1000' fixed rope can be called "more easily"). Zander may join in on the fun as well.
Alex originally suggested the rebolting work in an email after he climbed up onto p9 and observed the bolt conditions. Mikey had helpfully suggested Roger and I for the job, and I replied, but Alex went back and fired the route before he even checked for my email. :-) Normally I would have gone up there with Roger, and we had discussed it for this past summer, but other plans and climbs intervened. By late October, Roger was about done for the season, but Chris was psyched and we had a great time up there.
Chris remarked that in the 80s, people would often do the first 7 pitches up to The Hang as a "moderate" day trip, as the 5.12 does not start until p8.
The ideal season was September, when it was cool enough, dry, but perhaps after a cleansing rain. Those pitches are classic pure friction and reasonably low commitment, as one can rappel at any time. Although some long sliding falls are possible, of course. After some rebolting work next summer, this should again be possible on good bolts, like it was in the 80s.
Links
main Hall of Mirrors thread, 2008:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/527185/hall-of-mirrors
Alex Honnold's 3rd ascent, 2011:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1641757/Hall-of-Mirrors
Jonny Woodward's article Smoke and Mirrors on the second ascent, 1992:
http://www.stanford.edu/%7Eclint/yos/smjw93.htm
Long, Hard and Free page:
http://www.stanford.edu/%7Eclint/yos/longhf.htm#apron
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Trip Report Views: 13,006 |
Clint Cummins
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About the Author
Clint Cummins is a trad climber and rap rebolter from SF Bay area, CA. |
Comments
Josh Higgins
Trad climber
San Diego
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Thanks for the public service! It's awesome that there are people like you in the climbing community.
Josh
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Author's Reply
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Nov 7, 2011 - 02:37am PT
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haha, Chris is still way solid - casually scrambling in his loose sneakers and bolting a lot faster than I can.
He may look "round", but he still has the fire!
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Thanks for your work on this!
It's fascinating to get a glimpse of the smooth slab on this legendary route.
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
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Nice job Y'all thanks for the public service!!!
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Gunkie
Trad climber
Valles Marineris
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That looked like a fun adventure.
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slabbo
Trad climber
colo south
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The pitches up to the Hang are so good, and now safer.. Thanks
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Jan
Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
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Yes thanks both for replacing the bolts and sharing it with us! As Doug says, it's a legendary route and this is as close as most of us will ever come to seeing it.
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tonym
climber
Oklahoma
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GreatTR! Thanks for the nice report.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Great stuff Clint!
Warbler, yes, I was thinking the same about the drill as I looked at some of those remaining 1/4 mankers.....
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Roger Brown
climber
Oceano, California
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Great trip report Clint. I can't wait for next season. I will check the 2008 log book to see if I made any comments about those bolts.
Roger
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nice job! I'll bet half of the posters on ST will be lined up at the base next Spring raring to go.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Slabs.....shudder....slabs, I need man sized holds.
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Zander
climber
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Wish I had been there to help!
Z
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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You have any plans to auction off those old hangers?
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Great report Clint-kudos to all the work to revitalize this legendary route, way out of my league, even back then, but what the heck maybe next time around.
Early in the summer Boche and I were cruising by the Apron and wondering if there were many routes in that area. Spectacular.
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bergbryce
climber
East Bay, CA
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Wow, looks like a huge undertaking.
Strong work.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Historic thread about an historic route. Those first few pics give me chills, trottin' down from the top. WhooWee.
Good on y'all Clint and Chris.
Maybe Alex's attention to this will draw focus again to the gems we have in the slabs of Yosemite. The work of Clint, Roger, Chris and others needs to be appreciated!! I'm doing my best and would love to hit the Hang sometime.
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Fascinating look at a legendary route...
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Outside the Asylum
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Thanks, Chris and Clint - good work! It looks like each of the belays now has at least one modern bolt and hanger, which gives a good base to work from. Assuming that you eventually pull most of the old bolts and replace them, how many more are there to do?
I notice that there are some old SMC hangers - better than none, at least, and not likely to be a concern over the winter? Or are they considered OK, as long as the bolt is also OK?
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YoungGun
climber
North
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Super cool! Great effort and thanks for the photos! Did you keep the "looked like somebody's junior high shop project / practical joke" hangers from #14? Would be nice to see photos of this :) Thanks!!
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mctwisted
Trad climber
e.p.
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good job guys, looks like it must of been quite an exciting day. we used to do the first few pitches routinely bitd to keep our skills up, might have to go check that out again next season. thanks
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Cascade Mountains and Monterey Bay
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thank you, great work!
it's about time there was more attention paid to one of the great rock walls in the world...
just a short walk from a mountain store and pizza shop
(watch out for bears at the base)
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Fantatic photos, and cool TR! Thank you for your efforts for all of us.
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Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Soulsbyville, California
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Truly amazing public service project, Chris and Clint! Thanks a lot!
Never having been above the 11th pitch BITD, I was really impressed with the view down the "13th". Whether it's 5.13a or 5.12b doesn't really matter. It sure looks like one of the Seven Wonders of the slab climbing world.
But what looks truly horrifying is the ramble and rap down through the U-Shaped Bowl. That approach makes the rap into Watkins look like a Sunday stroll in Golden Gate Park.
Can't you get a permit from the Park Service to use a roto-hammer for a day? Two or three battery packs and the whole H of M would glisten with new 3/8" bolts equipped with Fixe hangers. Everybody (and their mama) would want to do it then!
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Page 666 bump!
just looking at those pictures of the wet slabs at the top creeped me out. Thanks for your hard work.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
ne'er–do–well
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A line directly up the watercourse above the 10th pitch would be a sick variation.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Very cool! I love this history carrying itself on stuff!
I would not have recognized Chris C either, though his spirit is clearly there, in a newer morphology!
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Super cool. If I can ever get back into good shape, that would be high on the list of things to do.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Very cool, this definately beats reading the paper.
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ghostfromthepast
Social climber
oakhurst ca
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Had great time with Clint on the route. Was one of those looong days, pitch black and still 400 ft off the ground, searching for the rappel anchors I ask him "is this officially an epic". can't remember his exact words "almost" we agree as we are still warm, dry and hydrated, both of our headlamps working. I think we do learn some things from so many years, but on the flip side, I could barely walk for the next few days, started my diet again, the one I went on a few years ago after I couldn't bend over far enough buckle my snow board bindings.
lance it really is me!! although sometimes it seems like someone else, I was 17 when I started and 19 when I finished the route. I still remember our Nose attempt when I was 15, showing the photos to my friends at high school, confirming their suspicions that I was truly crazy. Remember when that was the standard response from non-climbers? I helped out at our church recently at their Halloween party, they had a climbing wall and it seems like every 8 year old has been on a rope before. Is non-climber even going to be a valid concept in a generation?
As to the anchors on P15 Clint had the camera so the mystery remains, one of the hangers was in fact made in my Jr. High shop class. The anchor was a comment on the old anchors you would find on big walls like the Nose back then. You will have to climb up there to see it, I did add a new 3/8" but left the old bolts.
Thanks for all the cool comments and encouragement, Chris
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tahoe523
Trad climber
Station Wagon, USA
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Clint, Chris, Roger- thanks for getting Hall of Mirrors all peppered for me and the route's 4th ascent. I will have you and the non slip-in-the-shower banana decals to thank.
Seriously though, thanks to you, I now know exactly how much work it takes to replace a bolt by hand. Thank you for the countless hours that you and other ASCA sponsored samaritans have dedicated to making our routes safer.
P.S. Clint, we really have to try out these bananas on the apron.
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StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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Great work guys!!! Thanks for sharing. I did it to The Hang BITD and kept looking up going "Dang, that looks wild".
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msiddens
Trad climber
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Great stuff Clint and thanks
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Spider Savage
Mountain climber
The shaggy fringe of Los Angeles
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Great TR. Looks like a super fun route. Wish I could still climb 5.12.
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Gagner
climber
Boulder
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Cool, and good work Clint, and Chris.
And as was said up thread - I would have never recognized Chris "Can't Climb Well" - ha, ha. But then I guess none of us look like we did in the 80.
Paul
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Nick
climber
Dazed, Confused
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Good on you guys! An iconic slab route for sure. Before the route was finished in the late 70's I went to the top of the sixth and was really impressed with the climbing and run outs. Glad to hear you are still getting out Chris.
Nick B
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mongrel
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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Chris, if you were with Clint and both of your headlamps were still working, it was not yet an epic.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Nice work, guys!
Geez, when I think of Chris Cantwell on Hall of Mirrors, I think of this young upstart. [Note - only *I* can be a parvenu, right, Conrad?]
But Chris is OLD, man! He's ancient.
In fact, I found his brother from another mother.
Separated at birth:
Chris Cantwell:
Billy Gibbons from Zed-Zed Top:
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ghostfromthepast
Social climber
oakhurst ca
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A clarification: the route can only be climbed by the dry variation right now. The anchor bolts on top of the original 5th pitch are gone completely, three 3/8 bolts rusted away almost completely. we did not have time to replace these or check out the rest of P5 and P4 although I doubt there is much left of them. We are hoping to have it all rebolted by next fall. Thanks,Chris
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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chris looked better b4 the beard.
good on ya guys
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Author's Reply
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Nov 15, 2011 - 02:54pm PT
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Thanks for all the support!
A few replies:
 powerdrills?
Thanks, but we don't need 'em. We have Roger. All we have to do is get the ropes fixed and he will do it all by hand. Maybe a visual will help:
from
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/912351/Bolt-replacement-2009
You have any plans to auction off those old hangers? [Batrock]
I don't have any plans, but it you want one, make a donation to ASCA and I'll send you one. Most of them look fairly ordinary - rusty Leepers. The "junior high shop class" hangers might be a bit more unique, though! :-)
There might be some "marketing potential", though? Maybe polish up one side of the Leepers so they are like a mirror, stamp HoM, serial number, try auction at the annual ASCA fundraiser? (Greg Barnes and Chris McNamara organize this).
Assuming that you eventually pull most of the old bolts and replace them, how many more are there to do?
I bet Roger already has them counted, as he plans these projects carefully.
Roger already replaced p1-p5 in 2008, but the rockfall of 5/2009 removed some of these. Chris and I replaced 8 anchor bolts, added 3 anchor bolts, and replaced one missing protection bolt.
My quick count is 78.
We are psyched to have so many of the "last of the 1/4 inchers" in close proximity.
I notice that there are some old SMC hangers - better than none, at least, and not likely to be a concern over the winter? Or are they considered OK, as long as the bolt is also OK?
There are 2 kinds of SMC hangers - the rusty thin chrome-moly type (which are suspect like the Leepers), and the thicker stainless ones, which I consider to be as good (strong/reliable) as any current hanger (although with a little less room for biners and slings).
Shino, let's test over on the Half Dome Cables route first - I've heard it's way slick over there!
I'm a bit confused, however, is the unfinished 9th the crux? [coz]
Yes. At least for shoes people are currently using. Sorry if my messy topo with the edits makes it hard to see this.
Jonny Woodward felt it was the crux, and has a great passage in his article Smoke and Mirrors where he tried to aid past it, but couldn't. Check it out. untaintable!
And it was the only pitch that Alex Honnold didn't onsight, so that would seem to confirm this.
Plus you said in the main thread that you took 30-40 falls there, so this also is a statement about how it is so tempting, but so hard to do.
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Slater
Trad climber
Central Coast
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well done on the community service thing.
Thank you!
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Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Soulsbyville, California
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All Roger needs now is one of those 3 lb driving hammers they sell at Peninsula Building Supplies in Redwood City and Sunnyvale. That old Black Diamond hammer is way too light! With his arms, he could handle that big iron like it was a tooth pick!
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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The problem with heavier hammers is you risk damaging the drill bit. Lots of light taps are the key to drilling, it's not blacksmithing.
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the kid
Trad climber
fayetteville, wv
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whoa..
nice work gents..
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Mark Hudon
Trad climber
On the road.
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Good work, thanks for all your effort.
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AKDOG
Mountain climber
Anchorage, AK
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Thanks for the report, good work, boy those pitches look slick.
What kind of harness and new sticky rubber is Mr. Cantwell sport’n?
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Paul Martzen
Trad climber
Fresno
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Great report and nice work, Clint & Chris. Inspiring.
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ghostfromthepast
Social climber
oakhurst ca
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Pass the Pitons Pete,
love your post !! had to show it to my kids. thanks,Chris
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dogtown
Trad climber
Cheyenne, Wyoming and Marshall Islands atoll.
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Smoke and Mirrors, article is awesome. Great read!
Some how I was not surprised when Hensels involvement was mentioned.
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Dirka
Trad climber
Hustle City
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The public thanks you! What a great thread.
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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Just having one good bolt at each belay should definately change the dynamics of considering doing the route. Even back in 92 a couple of the belays didn't make me feel all that comfortable when JW and I made our recon run of the upper pitches in bad weather (so I'm a whimp - but the transition to 3/8 had started and I was beginning to view 1/4 with an ever more suspicious eye.)
I was entertaining thoughts of doing it earlier this fall but had a feeling that the route would require bolt maintenance given it's long neglected status, and the fact that JW/JB had only replaced essential bolts for their ascent (+ no beefing of anchors.) I guess those suspicions rang true.
It would of course be nice if all pro bolts were replaced, and it sounds like there are plans to do so, but the essential first step has been taken with belay beefing. That alone is a good deal. Thanks guys!
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Morgan
Trad climber
East Coast
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Outstanding work, and cool Mjollnir hammer!
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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What a great report and a way of sharing a route that most of us will never get on. I remember Misty Beethoven being hard enough. It took a few tries to get that first pitch and I remember falling way above a bolt and running backwards down the slab while my partner took in slack. I can't imagine those upper pitches. Spectacular.
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nutjob
Sport climber
Almost to Hollywood, Baby!
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Happy to see this labor of love.
I don't have the skills, so I'll have to just enjoy the fruits of it vicariously.
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jaaan
Trad climber
Chamonix, France
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Great job Clint and Chris. Question... on anchor 6 there were two rivets and a 1/4" bolt. You chose to replace the bolt and leave the two rivets. Does this mean you have more faith in them than the 1/4" bolt? If so, is this the case with all the old gear (well, all that's left) of that type scattered around Yosemite?
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Author's Reply
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Nov 9, 2011 - 05:03pm PT
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Thanks, Darrell. Having one good bolt at each anchor also means we can fix ropes for Roger more safely, so when he is at the top of the fixed ropes, he is not on just one old 1/4" bolt while replacing the other. Although he will often replace the last protection bolt on the pitch below, and have that as a backup.
jaaan,
What you call "rivets" we call "buttonheads". It is the same Rawldrive bolt underneath, just a different head which is equally strong. [Edit:] But see Chris's reply below, the buttonheads used were longer/stronger than the studs with hex nuts. And "Equal" is an approximation; not exactly equal, but both are pretty good (see posts below).
The reason I replaced the lower left bolt is that it is at the same height as the right bolt. Later the lower right bolt will be replaced and those two will be the anchor. We will consult with Chris, but usually 2 good 3/8" bolts makes a good anchor.
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jaaan
Trad climber
Chamonix, France
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Thanks for that. You also answered my next question - which was... are the anchors going to remain like that or will the eventually be two new bolts at each one. I guess I didn't really appreciate that this was just the start. Again, great work.
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martygarrison
Trad climber
Washington DC
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Thanks Clint. I always wondered what these pitches looked like. The photos make it look low angle, I assume when you were on it some of the pitches looks fairly steep and blank?
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Author's Reply
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Nov 9, 2011 - 05:00pm PT
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Marty,
Chris was remarking also, on how the pitches look so easy when on rappel. It is a different perspective in a couple of ways. One of the reasons is that you can see the holds much better from above. From below you are guessing what holds might be good, and you know that often you will be wrong. Like in Bruce's story of leading p9 and the "Treble Clef" mantle above the belay - looks like a jug from below, way sloper when you get there!
And after I replaced a bolt at (9), I looked up at p10 and tried to imagine how I would lead it. It looked pretty rad. Not just steep and blank, but slick. Chris mentioned that if you fell on those upper pitches on lead, you didn't just slide slow, you went fast immediately. That's when you realize you can't judge all that much on rappel.
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ghostfromthepast
Social climber
oakhurst ca
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As to the angle, look carefully at the photos looking down from the higher pitches. The beginning pitches look like a sidewalk, then remember these are 5.10+ and 5.11. As to the anchor bolts, the ones with button heads were longer, better bolts. The 1/4" with the nut were the short studs that we would place first from the stance because they were quicker to drill.
Thanks,Chris
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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Yeah, two new 3/8 at each belay should a good anchor make. No need for 3 3/8.
My experience, or so it seems, is that the 1/4 buttonheads seem a little better overall than the threaded ones. Maybe an illusion, but they generally seem better when taking them out for replacement. Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather see a buttonhead than a threaded job if I need to clip a 1/4 bolt. Maybe it's just because the buttonheads typically tend to be longer. Sorta moot point anyway.
The upper pitches are steeper, as Chris and others are pointing out. It turns from smearing to more edging. Bear in mind that "edging" still means pretty small holds. It's steep and slick enough that even though it appears low angle (relative to steep sport) it's not easy to just paddle up it. Plus, as mentioned again, it's hard to see a line or holds to go for while on it because everything is small. And it tends to be reasonably continuous. A small break in technique/focus and it's easy to quickly depart.
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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The buttonheads should be much stronger than the threadheads. Not only are the buttonheads slightly longer, most importantly they are full dia at the hanger where they recieve the greatest shear load. The minor diameter of a 1/4-20 thread is 0.188", so really only 3/16" dia. Not only a much smaller dia, but a stress riser at the point of greatest sheer load!
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Greg Barnes
climber
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I don't know if Chris remembers, but many of his 1/4" thread-head bolts in Tuolumne were actually stud bolts, not thread-head split-shaft bolts. Those nearly always snap during removal. The Uriostes used those all the time in Red Rocks, it took us a bit to figure out why every single bolt was snapping when you'd get at least 80% of thread-head split-shaft bolts out in Yosemite.
I don't know if any of the thread-head bolts on HoM are stud bolts instead of split-shafts - maybe Chris knows?
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Outside the Asylum
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Plus, as mentioned again, it's hard to see a line or holds to go for while on it because everything is small.
Of course, once the route's bolts are all replaced, there'll be lineups to climb it, chalk on all the holds, and rubber streaks everywhere, from falls. Except that it gets rather well washed every winter.
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Roger Brown
climber
Oceano, California
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Greg,
On the last formation Clint helped fix ropes on for me this season, one of the routes was 1/4" stud bolts and they all came out without without breaking. That is the first time I can remember that ever happening for me.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Author's Reply
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Nov 15, 2011 - 02:56pm PT
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Greg,
The answer is in the caption to this photo (yes).
Mostly on p13-p16. The lower pitch bolts are Rawldrives (split shaft).
I called them '1/4" wedge bolts' instead of 'stud bolts'.
So I changed it to '1/4" wedge stud bolts'.
Chris and Scott Cole called them 'taper bolts'.
I pulled 2 of them intact, after the first one broke when I wasn't careful about how I used the tuning fork.
I believe Roger is referring to No Falls Wall and Black Sunday, at Last Resort. These were Chris' FAs in 1980. Hopefully we'll have continued good results in pulling the remainder on Hall of Mirrors.
[Edit to add:]
There may be 2 reasons we are having more success in pulling the 1/4" wedge studs these routes (Hall of Mirrors and Black Sunday):
1. Using pretty thin tuning forks (thinner than the standard #4 Lost Arrow ones that Theron makes). I used an old long thin Lost Arrow to make mine, and Roger is using a very thin wide chisel for his.
2. The bolts are not that rusty/weak on these routes. Less water damage. So the bolts can take the outward force without breaking at the head or cone.
Roger and I had problems breaking the 1/4" Rawldrives on Greasy But Groovy, because they were so rusty/weak from being in the water so much. Roger carefully used knifeblades to wedge them out straight and slow. And I used my tuning fork very carefully.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Nov 10, 2011 - 09:29am PT
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Those photos make me wanna get back on the Apron like nobody's business...
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dustonian
climber
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Nov 10, 2011 - 10:25am PT
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Awesome work, guys!! You're total heroes.
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henny
Social climber
The Past
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Nov 10, 2011 - 11:26am PT
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I obviously was wrong about JW/JB not beefing anchors, as Clint's picture of anchor 15 proves. When I queried JW about having fixed up any belays, he didn't remember if they had or not. Looks like they did. So, just to jog JW's memory..., did they beef any other belays?
Question: when JW reworked the 13th, did he remove the original bolts that were bypassed? If not, and Chris feels that they did a good job, are there plans to do so? The cleaner of superfluous bolts the better, IMO (2 cents worth).
MH - rubber streaks will be the case up to about the 9th, from there on it might be getting steep enough to not leave streaks. And yeah, it sure does get washed clean when it rains.
When JW and I first went on it, we got caught in a downpour at the 8th. I was on the hang while JW rapped and it was getting downright serious. Thought I was gonna drown, not to mention all the rocks that were starting to get carried by the water. We left a gallon water jug at the hang and came back to find nothing but a few tattered pieces of plastic. The hang is a nasty place in the rain.
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ghostfromthepast
Social climber
oakhurst ca
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Nov 10, 2011 - 02:39pm PT
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Henny,
There was a JW 3/8 at the Hang, P7 anchor, the hanger was smashed, Zappa Dave's original 3/8 was still solid so I replaced the hanger,could not get the JW bolt out so I added another 3/8" stainless taper bolt . There was also a JW 3/8 at the last protection bolt on the 16th.
As to the 13th memory is a funny thing I remembered it as a long blank headwall of about 80+ feet that had a bolt ladder straight up about 60' of it. What I saw this time were more stances and holds than I remember, weaving gently back and forth, the bolts were at the stances and followed the holds. I don't know if I missed this line of holds on the FA or just am not remembering it as it was. I distinctly remember top roping from the belay up to the top bolt on the ladder and continuing on to the next stance without falling or weighting the rope, my feet were smearing not edging most of the foot holds. I also remember thinking ,after I reached the stance that the run out was rather anti-climatic and we should have ended the bolt ladder a few bolts lower.
Edging the pitch would make it a different line of holds I assume. Next time I go up there I will have to look more closely at it. We were pressed for time so I didn't get a real good look at the whole thing
Thanks for all your comments and info!! Chris
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Bruce Morris
Trad climber
Soulsbyville, California
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Nov 13, 2011 - 10:39pm PT
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Listened to all the comments about how low angle the Hall of Mirrors looks from above when you're on rappel. So . . . I thought I'd add on some shots of climbers on the route to give you some reference points.
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Nov 13, 2011 - 10:45pm PT
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Thanks for your service Clint, Chris, Roger et al.
You guys are badass!
Great writeup and pitch by pitch description.
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mikeyschaefer
climber
Sport-o-land
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Nov 13, 2011 - 11:00pm PT
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Thanks a bunch guys!
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Outside the Asylum
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Nov 13, 2011 - 11:34pm PT
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Wow! FA photos. The masses demand more.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Author's Reply
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Nov 15, 2011 - 02:59pm PT
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I added an enlarged version of the visible initial pitches of Crest Jewel.
I just switched over to a Fuji EXR from my old Canon SD450, and the EXR is an improvement in low light and higher resolution.
Also added a photo of the bolts and hangers brought down from the route, and an enlarged photo of one of the 1/4" wedge stud bolts, in comments after the main trip report.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Jan 20, 2012 - 10:41pm PT
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I still remember all the mean-spirited gossip and buzz that went around when this route was going up...and now conventional opinion is that it may be the best all-around slab climb in the world.
Then there was all the mean-spirited gossip and buzz that made the rounds when WOS was happening. Haven't read the magazine article, but from what I gather the route is not quite the immoral insult to all things climbing it was made out to be.
For all the cultrual changes in climbing that have surfaced in the intervening years -- things both good and bad -- one thing I don't miss is the nasty bloodlust that sometimes boiled over in those days. Things seem a bit mellower on the ground. Maybe it's because if we're really pissed we can vent here on the interwebs, as opposed to the icky alternative -- raging at folk in real life. Or maybe we're all just getting old, warming up for our epic battles, wheelchair-ramming fights, and walking cane smackdown in the Old Climber's Home.
I'm curious, 'cause I don't know the history -- were Kroger and Davis given any flack when the rolled in with no fanfare and did the heart route?
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Author's Reply
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Jan 21, 2012 - 01:25am PT
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bvb,
You can read Chuck Kroger's story:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/474787/First-Ascent-of-the-Heart-Route-1970-Kroger-and-Davis
"In the morning we were sorting pins by eight, ready to start at ten, when the big boss barbarian (let's call him Jim) arrived on the scene. He made it pretty clear that his stuff was already on the WML [Wall of Early Morning Light], and that we'd be pretty dead pretty soon if we tried to steal his route from him and his partner (we'll call him Kim), who has a bit of a killer instinct."
...
"Two hours of reconaissance convinced us that we could try a route left of the Muir Wall," ...
There is a pretty cool cartoon by Chuck's then girlfriend of the barbarians, stuff on the route, etc., published in Vulgarian Digest!
It's on the second page of the above thread, and you posted on the thread, too. :-)
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BrassNuts
Trad climber
Save your a_s, reach for the brass...
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Jan 22, 2012 - 10:42pm PT
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Very cool, nice public service gentlemen!
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Jan 23, 2012 - 12:44am PT
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mmmmm, Apron frikshun
need me a trip next weekend, maybe I should get silly with cold temps and some Aperun.
not HoM mind you, but it gets the juices flowing thinking about edging on the slippery side of nothing.
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Rosamond
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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Jan 25, 2012 - 05:11pm PT
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That Can't Possibly be Cantwell.......He's wearing shoes, and he appears to have taken a Bath recently!!!
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Jan 25, 2012 - 05:37pm PT
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Sorry to tell you this Clint, but I think some Italian guys are coming to chop this route.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Jan 25, 2012 - 05:59pm PT
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What a thread! FA pictures and a super re-bolting effort on an iconic route. Thanks for letting get a close-up of a route I could not touch now.
Superb route. Superb TR.
Thank you.
John
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KabalaArch
Trad climber
Starlite, California
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Jan 26, 2012 - 03:24am PT
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Nice try, boys...but if you been following the news, the Italians are now boarding one of their cruise ships to come over and chop the whole shebang.
Scottie once related how he and "Can'tClimbWell" trundled the Mouth while, uh, drinking beer; Scott reported that the declevity down to The Mouth looked liked a sidewalk in its relative steepness, as their nighttime trundling from their Flake in The Sky covered that route with their sparks, and smelling of ozone from the dangerous rockfall reported in that area.
Since I ain't gonna climb it anytime soon - since, as you can plainly see, the Golden Age is now speed climbing events on TR plastic - it would be innaresting for an old guy like me to rap the darn thing, now that I've a visual on the base of the U Shaped Bowl.
Last I heard, from Leo Burk, his son hasn't climbed in more than 7 years. Any new news for any concerned for Chris' FA partner on the upper third?
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crazy horse
Trad climber
fresno, ca
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Jan 26, 2012 - 11:52am PT
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cool rebolting mission guys!!
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Doug Tomczik
climber
Bishop
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Clint, Chris and Roger, I really appreciate the work you are putting into this. Thank you.
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snowhazed
Trad climber
Oaksterdam, CA
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THis TR has the most views of all of em!
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Author's Reply
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Nov 5, 2012 - 08:45pm PT
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2012 update:
On June 16 and 17, Roger and I repeated the approach that Chris and I had used in October 2011 - we hiked down from the top with 2 ropes each.
This time, we replaced bolts on the top pitches, and then eventually fixed our 4 ropes each day as high as possible to reach the ground.
After 2 days, we had 8 ropes fixed to the top of p13, with all bolts replaced above that.
We also placed a new rappel anchor above (15) on the L side of the U-Shaped Bowl, so it is now straightforward to climb the 16th pitch, then diagonal right, back left to the U-Shaped Bowl, then scramble 3rd/4th class out left to the new anchor and rappel the route.
Roger then spent the next weeks jugging up the fixed lines and replacing all bolts on p13 and below, including the anchors on p4 and p5 which had been damaged by rockfall.
The route is all ready to climb - get out there before it starts raining!
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justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
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Jan 23, 2013 - 09:13pm PT
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Hadn't read this before. Thanks for the great report.
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